Job Search Tips From a Real Grasshopper To You

Looking for job search tips? Well, don’t look too far because I am about to share what I have learned since I started searching for a newer job. I am looking for a job. If you are hiring a web developer, I might be what you are looking for! That being said, let us find out what has helped me get so many phone calls and potential leads from companies in the past one and half weeks.

There are more than enough books on this subject and that has been the cause of many problems to say the least. People get confused as to how to prepare either for a job search or an interview. I will do this the simple way, I mean, why make things too complicated?

Top 5 Job Search Tips That Actually Work

1) A Professional Resume – I know, you are probably asking, you are asking me to spend money (do you know how much they cost?). I agree that professional resumes can cost a lot of money but as John Sonmez has always emphasized, it is worth it. If you cannot afford it, don’t rob a bank. Go to your local library, borrow some books on the same subject, read through them and create a decent resume using free online templates. Remember, most resumes are a single page.

2) Networking Before Job Searching – I recently, actually yesterday met a recruiter for coffee and you won’t believe what he told me; he said that he had known me through LinkedIn way back before I expressed that I was job searching. That might not be a big deal but knowing people is pretty important in this industry. As I always say, carry a business card with you because you never know who you might meet. Use sites like LinkedIn, Quora, Google+ and Twitter to connect with people who have authority in given subjects. Contribute by helping others and one day, the magic will unfold.

3) Spend 40 hours a week looking for another 40 hours – Yes, I said it. If you really want to find a job, sitting at home watching useless reality shows while eating potato chips won’t help you much. One friend once told me that if I really was serious about job searching, I had to treat the job search as though it was a full-time job. Some people obviously won’t agree with this but at the end of the day, you should put in a reasonable amount of effort if you want something out of it.

4) Submit your resume to online job search engines – What I have learned recently is the fact that many companies now look for potential hires on sites like Monster, Indeed, LinkedIn among others. All you really need to do is once you have put together a decent resume, submit it to the top 5 or 10 job search engines. They will help you reach more recruiters or companies looking for people like you.

5) Social Presence can harm or help you – What you might have not considered is the social media impact on your job searching process. I normally say that if you have nothing to say, just shut up and fish. Honestly speaking, potential employers have the ability to see everything you do online and that could include your nude photos or you while drunk or even simple comments littered with cuss words. I wouldn’t hire you if I saw that. So, in simple words, exercise self-control not only online but also offline. Of course you cannot pretend not to be a jerk when you are one!

Summary of Job Search Tips

In summary, whether you are looking for a job or preparing for a job interview, there is one thing that goes without saying: you should be good at what you do. If you have the passion and motivation, you will get a job (just like I will soon).

These job search tips will only take you so far. If you don’t put them into action, you will be asking yourself questions like “why am I not getting hired or what did I do wrong or why do I see “Hiring” signs all over town yet no one wants me? You can read John Sonmez’s post on “why you didn’t get that developer job” by clicking here.

If you have more job search tips, please add them using the comments area. Thank you for stopping by. Let me know what you think and please share this post with your friends using the buttons below. See ya!

Written By Elisha Chirchir

Elisha Chirchir is a software developer. He is also the founder of Simple Developer and co-founder of Instinctive Software Solutions. On any given day, he works on both Android and Web Development. During his 'free time', he offers training to those interested in learning how to code in php, java, python, javaScript etc. You can easily find him on StackOverflow Android chatroom or on Twitter @Eenvincible